Customer Stories

The Impact

25 projected living wage jobs with benefits

Local Poverty Rate: 54.2%

Unemployment Rate: 16.3%

Woman-owned business

Minority-owned business

Olu’s Center – North Minneapolis

North Minneapolis is an area with a reputation for poverty, drugs, guns, gangs and crime. It is also a community filled with rich cultural diversity and people who just want to earn a good living, send their children to good schools, live in safe housing and walk the streets without fear of violence.

A successful and charismatic entrepreneur, Gloria Freeman believes that “we all have the right to a fulfilling life – to be happy, whole, and accomplished individuals.” Gloria’s business, Olu’s Home, operates seven residential homes that serve people with developmental disabilities, traumatic brain injuries and mental illnesses. Olu’s Home employs nearly 100 people.

When she decided to diversify her business and create a child and adult day care center, Gloria looked to north Minneapolis with the belief that she could bring jobs and hope to a struggling community. She found an old building that had been empty for over three years, and thought it would be perfect.

Despite sustained growth and expansion, Gloria struggled to find traditional financing to purchase the building because Olu’s Center was considered a start-up, different from her core business. When she hit a brick wall, she talked to her business advisors at MEDA, who referred her to us.

As a non-profit, SBA 7(a) small business lender, we are committed to taking extra time to find creative ways to get high community impact deals done. After reviewing Gloria’s 16-year history of successfully starting and managing her business as well as the incredible community impact, we were able to provide Gloria with a $1.2 million SBA 7(a) loan to buy and renovate the building.

Olu’s Center was renovated and opened in 2015. It is a happy, bright place that comes alive with the energy and enthusiasm of the children and the wisdom and insights of the seniors.

Connect2Capital® is powered by Community Reinvestment Fund, USA (CRF).

CRF, a national non-profit community development financial institution, is a leader in bringing capital to underserved people and communities. Since 1988, CRF has injected more than $2.4 billion into communities in 48 states across the country to help stimulate job creation and economic development, provide affordable housing, and support community facilities.